Lesson 3: How We Care - Me Pēhea Tātou e Tiaki

Years 4–6 pitch · Lesson 3

Years 4–6: cause, effect, who benefits

Ākonga build the chain — observed issue, likely cause, effect, who or what benefits if it changes, evidence held — then make a care commitment naming WHO, HOW OFTEN and HOW THEY WOULD KNOW.

Years 4–6 move: Cause/effect table plus an accountable commitment
Evidence it produces: A commitment with an owner, a frequency and a test of whether it worked

Same topic at the other level: Years 0–3 pitch →

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Lesson 3: How We Care - Me Pēhea Tātou e Tiaki

Learning About Kaitiakitanga and Caring Actions

Students learn about kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and explore practical ways to care for their environment, identifying problems and solutions.

Whakatūwhera - Cultural Opening

Kaitiakitanga means being a guardian or caretaker. In Te Ao Māori, we have a responsibility to care for our place - the land (whenua), water (wai), and all living things. When we care for our place, we care for ourselves and future generations. Today we will learn how to be kaitiaki.

"Tiaki i te taiao, tiaki i a tātou"

Care for the environment, care for ourselves - we are all kaitiaki (guardians).

Ngā Whāinga Ako - Learning Intentions

Students Will Learn

What kaitiakitanga means
How to identify problems in their environment
Ways to care for their place
That we all have a responsibility to care

Students Will Demonstrate

Understanding of kaitiakitanga
Identifying caring actions
Creating a kaitiaki promise
Planning how to care for their place

📺 YouTube Video - How We Care

Explore restoration and practical kaitiakitanga choices.

Before watching: predict one human action that helps nature recover.
After watching: add one care strategy to your class action wall.

Use it here

📄 My Care Commitment — Tōku Kupu Tiaki

Use after the cause-and-effect table. The commitment must name WHO will do it, HOW OFTEN, and HOW WE WOULD KNOW it helped — a promise without those three is not yet a commitment.

Open the My Care Commitment — Tōku Kupu Tiaki →

Ngā Mahi - Lesson Activities (45-60 minutes)

1. What is Kaitiakitanga? (10 mins)

Cultural Protocol: Begin with "Kia ora koutou." Explain that kaitiakitanga is a special responsibility we all have to care for our place.

Discussion: Ask students: "What does it mean to care for something? Who takes care of you? How do you take care of pets or plants?"

Kaitiakitanga Means:

Kaitiaki: Guardian or caretaker
Tiaki: To care for, to protect
Manaaki: To look after, to support
Responsibility: It's our job to care

Differentiation:

Support: Use simple examples: "We care for our classroom, we care for our pets"
Extension: Students explain why caring for the environment matters for future generations
Inclusive: Connect to students' own experiences of caring and being cared for

2. Looking for Problems (15 mins)

Years 4–6 pitch. Years 4–6 can separate a problem from its cause. For each problem spotted, ākonga write a cause→effect→who-benefits chain. Litter is the effect; the cause is a missing bin, a windy corner, or a habit — and the repair differs for each. A problem list without causes produces actions that do not work.

Observation: Take students outside or look at photos. Ask: "What needs our help? What could be better?"

Things That Might Need Care:

Litter or rubbish (paru)
Plants that need water (wai)
Areas that need cleaning
Places where animals need help
Spaces that could be more beautiful

Positive Framing: Focus on "How can we help?" rather than just problems. Emphasise that we can make a difference.

Differentiation:

Support: Use picture cards showing "needs help" vs "looks good". Work in pairs.
Extension: Students identify specific problems and suggest solutions.
Physical Needs: Can observe from classroom window or use photos/videos.

3. How Can We Care? (15 mins)

Brainstorming: As a class, brainstorm ways to care for our place.

Caring Actions:

Pick up litter: Keep our place clean
Water plants: Help plants grow
Plant seeds: Grow new plants
Feed birds: Help animals
Recycle: Use things again
Be gentle: Don't hurt living things

Connection Activity:

Ask: "Which of these can we do at school? Which can we do at home? What else can we do to be kaitiaki?"

Differentiation:

Support: Use picture cards showing caring actions. Students can point to what they can do.
Extension: Students create a detailed plan for one caring action.
Inclusive: All students can participate in some caring action, adapted to their abilities.

4. Creating Our Kaitiaki Promise (10-15 mins)

Years 4–6 pitch. A promise this age can keep is specific and owned. Each promise must name WHO does it, HOW OFTEN, and HOW THEY WOULD KNOW it worked. 'Look after our place' fails all three tests; 'our group checks the stream edge every Friday and counts the rubbish' passes them.

Creative Project: Students create a kaitiaki promise poster showing how they will care for their place.

Promise Options:

Drawing: Draw themselves doing a caring action
Writing: Write "I promise to..." statements
Poster: Create a colourful poster with their promise
Collage: Use pictures and words

Example Promises:

"I promise to pick up litter" / "Ka tiaki ahau i te taiao" (I will care for the environment)

Differentiation:

Support: Provide sentence starters: "I promise to..." Use templates.
Extension: Write detailed promises with multiple actions.
Creative: Allow various formats - posters, cards, drawings with captions.

Aromatawai - Assessment & Next Steps

Formative Assessment

Understanding: Do students understand kaitiakitanga?
Identification: Can they identify problems and solutions?
Engagement: Are they participating in caring discussions?
Promise: Do their kaitiaki promises show understanding?

Homework & Extension

Home Care: Do one caring action at home - pick up litter, water a plant
Whānau Share: Show family your kaitiaki promise and explain it
Observation: Look around your home - what needs care?
Practice: Practise saying "kaitiaki" (guardian), "tiaki" (to care)

Whakaaro - Reflection

Today we learned about kaitiakitanga - being guardians who care for our place. We all have a responsibility to look after our environment. When we care for our place, we care for ourselves and future generations. Next time, we will put our learning into action and actually do caring things for our place.

"Tiaki i te taiao, tiaki i a tātou" - When we care for the environment, we care for ourselves.

Curriculum alignment

Te Mātaiaho (2025) · Social Sciences · Phase 2 (Years 4–6) · Geography (Knowledge): “People interact with and use places, resources, and environments for personal, social, cultural, and economic reasons.”
NZC (2007) · Social Studies · Level 2: “Understand how places influence people and people influence places.”